A Puzzle To Be Solved
by plaidchameleon
Summary: When Felicity becomes drugged she stumbles into Oliver's room at the Queen Mansion needing help. He is more than happy to oblige only that it means that she begins to question who he is and finds out his secret. This is Walter's What If tale in my What If Series. Part 4 of a series of one-shots.


**A Puzzle To Be Solved**

 _ **A/N**_ **: Sorry for the lateness of getting this story out to everyone but I had a really busy week last week and an even busier weekend. Plus, I was really trying to get some actual writing in because I just really needed to sit down and write, or so my creative brain told me. LOL. Another huge thank you to my beta, evilelmo666 . She has been doing a fantastic job.**

 _ **Disclaimer**_ **: I do not own the characters as they belong to Arrow and DC Comics.**

Oliver Queen was bored. He leaned back into the soft leather chair as an alderman droned on about an issue that held little interest to Oliver. However, he made a note on the paper in front of him to have Thea to look into the issue since the man was so passionate on his stance.

When the alderman finally finished his half an hour discourse, the city meeting wrapped up much to Oliver's relief. He was about to make a hasty retreat when Walter Steele stopped him.

His ex-stepfather stood before him with a smile and an extended hand. "Oliver. Can I say what a wonderful job you have been doing as mayor?"

"Walter." Oliver shook his hand. "It's nice to see a friendly face at one of these things."

"I was hoping that maybe you'd like to get a drink."

Oliver silently groaned. There was no pressing vigilante business but he didn't want to sit there while Walter tried to talk him into whatever project the bank wanted Oliver to support.

Walter seemed to sense his hesitancy. "It's not business. I just wanted to check in on you and Thea. It has been a while since we've talked and I feel I owe it to your mother to make sure the two of you are doing alright."

Put that way, Oliver could hardly refuse. "Sure."

That was how Oliver found himself in an upscale bar sipping scotch when his phone rang. Felicity's face lit up his screen when Oliver extracted it from his suit pocket. He held up a finger to Walter and stood. "Excuse me, it's Felicity."

Oliver walked over to a quiet corner and answered. "Go."

"Curtis is hurt and I'm running him over to the emergency room. Evelyn is watching everything at the lair while I'm away."

"What happened?" Oliver rubbed his brow.

"He was sparring with Wild Dog. Both one of them refuse to talk and I wasn't there." Her voice sounded accusing, which meant she was probably in the car with Curtis and that was her way of reprehending him while giving Oliver the details. He had heard that kind of tone before, mostly used on him and Diggle when they fought. It was nice to hear her use it on someone else for a change.

"I'll deal with them when I come in. First I need to finish talking to Walter," Oliver informed her, his jaw tight at the knowledge that the recruits were still so raw.

"Say hi to him for me, will you?"

"I will. Go take care of Curtis."

Her ' _I will_ ' sounded more like a threat. Oliver grinned. He sure didn't want to be Curtis right now. Felicity's anger could stop Oliver and Diggle in their tracks which meant that Curtis didn't stand a chance.

Returning his phone to his pocket, Oliver walked back over to Walter. "Felicity wanted to let me know she wouldn't be home tonight if I stopped by. She says hi, by the way."

"Are you and Miss Smoak back together?" Walter's eyes flashed interest. Yet, there was an underlining emotion there as well and Oliver wasn't sure if it was a warning or happiness. Sometimes Walter's stoic British expressions threw him much like Waller's had.

"Maybe. Somewhat." Oliver shrugged. "I'm not sure, really. It's a little confusing at the moment."

"Because you haven't decided what your direction your relationship is heading or because you see her every day as the Green Arrow?"

Walter casually raised his glass to his lips while Oliver choked on his scotch. _Walter knew he was the Green Arrow? Probably because of all the accusations from a few years ago_ , Oliver tried to reassure himself.

"I figured it out even before Moira," Walter told him calmly. "I suspected before I was kidnapped and I considered asking Miss Smoak to look into the matter for me. Then you rescued me." Walter considered Oliver over his glass. "The second I saw your face under the green hood, I knew. I was actually surprised that no one else saw it. And despite that whole thing with Roy Harper, I knew the truth."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Walter shrugged. "I figured you'd tell us in your own time. And then when your mother and I separated, well… "

"Thank you for not exposing my secret." Oliver set his glass down and stared at his ex-stepfather. "Why didn't you?"

"It would have hurt Moira and Thea much more than it would have you." Walter waved his glass in Oliver's direction. "I may have divorced Moira, but I still loved her. Still do. You, Thea, and your mother will always be a part of my family even if I couldn't stay in the marriage after all that had happened."

"I'm sorry, Walter. Thank you for your discretion on the matter." It was all Oliver could think to say. Then what Walter said really hit him. "You thought about having Felicity look into me?"

"I did." Walter nodded. "She was essential to my discovering Tempest. Even when your mother was exonerated and running for mayor, she never let it go. Moira was threatened by her. When Felicity sinks her teeth into something she doesn't let go. I admire her for that, even if it may have damaged your mother's campaign at the time."

A smile touched Oliver's lips. "I know. She's the best."

"Frankly, after all you asked her to look into I was surprised she didn't stumble upon your secret earlier." Walter smiled. "You're lucky she was too preoccupied with your mother's book." A larger smile ghosted over Walter's lips for a moment. "I can actually picture Felicity's need to find the answers to all the questions you presented."

OQFSOQFS

Oliver couldn't believe that Laurel was here before him as she tried to explain why her father was treating him the way he was. Why he had arrested him as the vigilante.

"After Sara died my father threw himself into his work. I think that is part of the reason I'm an attorney. He ran to the law and I followed. But my mother couldn't. She left him. Left us." She shook her head slightly but her eyes never wavered from his. "Look, I'm not trying to tell you this to make you feel bad, or worse. I just really want you to understand him."

"Why don't you hate me?" Oliver whispered. "You should."

"I did. For so long I did, Ollie. But after today I realized I was so focused on what happened to my family that I didn't even stop and wonder what could have happened to you. I didn't know about the torture or your scars." Laurel nodded slightly at his chest. "What happened to you on that island was far worse than you deserved. And I was wrong that I didn't ask you before but I'm asking you now. I need to know. I need to see."

Oliver gave her a steady look. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Laurel nodded to punctuate her answer.

Oliver began to unbutton his shirt and reveal the damage done to him. Not just on the island of Lian Yu but from what he experienced over the past five years. He heard Laurel's indrawn breath as she reached out to him.

"How did you survive this?"

"There were times I wanted to die. In the end there was something I wanted more." Oliver leaned close to Laurel as her hand ran up his chest and his mouth captured hers in a kiss that he dreamed about for the past five years. He almost felt whole for a moment as his tongue traced over her lips. Laurel was in his arms and she accepted him scars and all.

It didn't matter how wrong all of it was. Tommy despite his best intentions otherwise, had shown an interest in Laurel. One that Oliver had picked up. So, to stay in that moment was an impossibility. More than that she was his lawyer. The only thing that stood between him and incarceration. And he was a vigilante, someone who had to break the law to save his city. And that was a secret he could never share with her. Not now and maybe not ever.

A fact that was driven home when he realized that he was so caught up in Laurel that he hadn't heard his bedroom door open. A squeak from whoever entered had the two of them jumping apart.

"Sorry."

Oliver turned around and discovered an unsteady Felicity Smoak at his door. At least he was pretty sure it was her. He'd never seen her without her glasses nor with her hair down, let alone inebriated as she was.

"I thought that they told me this was the way to the little girl's room," Felicity slurred as her stance slumped slightly against the wood panel of his door.

Laurel's deep indrawn breath had him turn towards her. She looked shocked and her hand covered her mouth. The same mouth that had been kissing him not a minute before. "I need to go."

"You don't have to," Oliver protested weakly and he reached out to her.

"I really do. Bye, Ollie."

He could do no more than stand there as Laurel left. There was no way he'd be able to chase her, not with the ankle monitor. Oliver noticed Felicity had slipped further down the door frame as he debated his options. "You okay?"

"I really need to…"

He barely reached her before her head hit the floor. Making sure that she was only passed out, Oliver reached out and checked her pulse. It was fast. He was about to lay her on the ground when her eyes fluttered open.

"You have really nice shoes for someone who is going to prison." Her eyes scrunched. "Maybe a lot of them do. I never really noticed."

Oliver felt his lips quirk upwards. He had no idea what it was with this woman but she always managed to make him smile.

"C'mon. Let's get you up." He helped her to her feet but gave up when she began to slide back down and instead lifted her up in his arms.

"I really do you know."

Oliver looked down at her. "You really do what?"

"I have to pee." She giggled. "I can't believe I actually told you that out loud."

A genuine smile filled his face. "Good thing that there's a bathroom in here then."

He carried her over to his ensuite bathroom and leaned her against the wall near the toilet. "Are you going to be okay?"

Felicity's eyes trailed from him to the toilet and back. "I think so."

"I'll be right outside." Closing the door behind him, Oliver leaned against the wall and waited. "What are you doing here anyway?" he asked her to keep the conversation going. It also ensured that she hadn't passed out inside. "Did you get an invitation?"

"Uh-uh."

The rest of what she said was muffled by the sound of the toilet flushing, so Oliver waited a few seconds before he cracked open the door. "What was that?"

"My friend was invited," she muttered. "I'm the plus one."

"Right." There was a pause as the sink began. _Felicity must be washing her hands_. "You okay? Need any help?"

"No, I…" A sound like a choke had him on alert as the water stopped. "I think I'm going to… hack."

Oliver flung open the door and rushed to her side. He helped her stand as she leaned over the sink and Oliver pulled back her hair as she retched.

It was the smell that first caught his attention. Something about it was off. More than alcohol. Another sniff had his back stiffen. Rohypnol. Felicity had been roofied.

Oliver rubbed her back as she finished. "Feel better?"

Felicity nodded weakly. "I don't remember drinking so much."

She leaned back and Oliver helped her to the wall where she slipped down the surface. Oliver went to the small closet inside his bathroom and pulled out a washcloth. He wet it in cold water and placed it on her forehead. "Hold that."

Felicity's head bobbed and a feeble hand held it in place as he went to retrieve a cup of water and another washcloth to clean her face. Returning, he cleaned her up and handed her the cup. She looked at it confused. "Rinse and spit."

Once she accepted the cup, he quickly grabbed the trashcan. "Spit in here."

She did as she was bid, but her appearance was wane at best. "You really don't have to do this."

"Yeah, I do." Oliver would have said more but his cell phone rang in the other room. "Hold on. I have to get that."

Without waiting for any acknowledgement, Oliver raced to where he had left his phone. As expected, it was Diggle. _Crap_! Oliver would have to watch what he said so Felicity wouldn't suspect anything. Not that he believed for a second that she'd remember any of this.

As Oliver talked to Diggle he formulated a plan of action. He'd have to let his mom know about Felicity. While his mom would be disappointed in the whole situation, she'd let Felicity sleep it off in a guest room. Hell, his mother was probably going to be mortified by the fact that one of the company's employees was even placed in this position within their own house.

Only Oliver never had the chance to find out what his mother would think about any of it. He hadn't even hung up the phone when a knock sounded on his door. Instead of being the catering staff it was a mercenary out to kill Oliver.

Oliver fought the man off unmindful of his unexpected guest in the bathroom. As it was, if Detective Lance hadn't shown up, Oliver wasn't sure he'd even be there to tell anyone anything.

In all the chaos, which resulted from the attack, Felicity was completely pushed from Oliver's mind. Relieved that they had released him from his arrest, Oliver headed from the mansion the first second he could. From there he hunted down Mueller and his crew. Diggle may have scared them earlier but Oliver was determined to put the fear of God into them so they'd never show their faces in his city again.

Around four am, Oliver stumbled to his bed. After the fight earlier it was still rumpled but he barely noticed as he stripped down. Sliding beneath the covers, Oliver let out a sigh before the exhaustion from his previous experiences overtook him.

OQFSOQFS

The next morning when he awoke, the sun shone brightly into his room from where the curtains were still askew. Not that he cared with the warm female body pressed against him. Her leg curled over one of his, while her hand rested over his left pectoral muscle.

Oliver shifted and she snuggled more deeply into him, causing an ache he hadn't woken up to in quite a while. He sniffed her hair, half expecting the warm musky scent of Laurel's perfume. Instead he was greeted with the smell of honeysuckle and roses. He shifted a little more and realized the hair that covered her face was blonde, not the brunette he was expecting. Oliver ran a hand over the hair so that he could see her face and was enthralled by how soft her hair was through his callused hand.

For the life of him, Oliver couldn't remember bringing a woman to bed the night before. He half wondered if she had hidden after the party and snuck her way into his bed. It wouldn't have been the first time. However, now he was much less likely to take whoever it was up on the very generous offer, despite the need that filled him at her sleeping touch.

The woman's body shifted and her leg grazed across the erection that became more and more prominent as he lay there. She moaned and shifted a little more so her face was completely obscured from his view. Not that he was thinking much about her face as her bare breast trailed along his side.

Oliver tried to ease slowly from her grip. He needed a better look at her and she just happened to be on the side of the bed where the sunlight was blocked. Oliver quickly grabbed his phone from the nightstand and dialed Diggle's number.

"Yeah?" Diggle mumbled over the phone line, his tone sleepy.

"I kind of have a situation."

"What kind of situation?" Diggle's voice became alert. "It's a little early in the day for the hood to suit up."

Oliver almost wished this was a vigilante problem, as he walked around the bed as she turned over and buried her face into the pillows. "There's a strange, blonde, naked woman in my bed."

"Sounds like a normal morning for Oliver Queen," Diggle said with a laugh.

"Maybe, but I didn't have anyone over last night. I was out taking care of that other problem."

"Sure you didn't leave one behind after the party?" Diggle teased.

"Shit!" Oliver ran a hand over his head and raced for the bathroom.

"Sir?"

"Felicity."

"What about her? I don't think an IT girl, no matter how intelligent, is exactly going to help you in your situation."

Oliver picked up Felicity's vomit stained dress from the floor. "I don't need her to help me, Digg. She's here."

"What's she doing there?" Diggle's question seemed much more alert. "And what does that have to do with… Shit!"

Oliver would have laughed at the sudden realization that Diggle had come to if it didn't mean that Felicity Smoak, IT extraordinaire, wasn't currently laying in Oliver's bed naked. "She came to the party as someone's plus one. She was drugged, Diggle," Oliver tried to explain.

Throwing her dress into a plastic bag for dry cleaning, Oliver set it aside to give to Raisa. In the meantime, Oliver had to deal with the very real fact that Felicity was still naked in his bed.

Oliver caught a glance of himself in the mirror. More than the fact that Felicity was naked, he wasn't exactly dressed if she woke up. The very real feeling of wanting to hit something came over him. _It wouldn't help, but a sparing dummy wouldn't be remise right about now_.

"I'll be there in twenty. Is she still asleep?"

Oliver peeked out of the bathroom door. Felicity hadn't moved. "Yes."

"Don't wake her. And get the hell out of there. I'll take care of it when I get there."

Oliver heard Diggle's keys jingle in an effort to head out of his apartment. "Digg?"

"Yeah?"

"She needs clothes. Felicity's dress is ruined. She must have been sick again while I was away. Could you pick her up something on the way in?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know what to buy her? Let alone what size. Women are picky about that stuff, man. Trust me, I was married."

Slowly approaching the bed on silent feet, Oliver studied the woman who had made him smile on more than one occasion. He hated to admit it but he could guess her size from her proportions. It was something he picked up during his college years. Unfortunately, that meant he'd have to turn her to get a better look at her body.

"Sir?"

"Hold on," Oliver whispered. He could do this. All he needed to do was move her enough to see her approximate size. His brain though willing was no match for the rest of him. His eyes drank in her pale skin above the coverlet. She had the blanket tucked up under her chin in her fist. Oliver turned away. This wasn't going to work. No, he had to do this.

With a gentle twist, Oliver pulled at the blanket. Felicity laid there bare to his vision except for a pair of barely there black lace boy shorts that contrasted with her skin. In her sleep, she shifted, her arm searched for the missing sheets. When she found them she recovered herself and gave a satisfied sigh.

Oliver rubbed his hand over his eyes in an attempt to scrub Felicity's image from his mind but it was an impossible task. He was very afraid the image of a naked Felicity was imprinted on his brain permanently. "She is a size six, Digg. Just grab her anything and I'll pay you back."

"I really don't want to know how you found that out, do I?"

"Not really."

"Give me thirty and I'll be there."

"Thanks, Digg." Oliver hung up and placed his phone on the nightstand near Felicity. He needed to get dressed and get the hell out of his room. What he wanted was to lift the covers and pull Felicity back to his side and spend the morning in bed. It was with that thought that he realized that last night was the first time since he had been home that he hadn't awoken to a nightmare. Well, that was if he didn't classify the mess he was currently in as just that.

Walking to his closet, Oliver grabbed the nearest clothes he could find. It only took a few minutes to dress but it felt like forever as he waited for the moment that Felicity may wake up.

A knock on his door had him running. It was still too soon for it to be Diggle. _Shit_. This morning was not going his way. "Mr. Oliver?"

 _Raisa_. He had to get to the door before she let herself in. Oliver jumped over a chair that was still on its side and made it to the door right as the handle began to turn. He jerked it open and smiled down at the Russian maid who had been with the family forever. "I'm awake."

"Good, Mr. Oliver. Your mother is looking for you. Since you're dressed I can have the cleaning staff come in and straighten it while you meet with her."

"No," Oliver interjected and then winced when he realized how loud he had been. "I mean, no, that's okay. I'm working on it. Mr. Diggle will be in shortly and he and I can finish it up after I speak to my mother."

"But the cleaning staff would be much more efficient," Raisa insisted.

He laid a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "I know but I'd rather do it myself if you don't mind. I'm still not used to having everyone do things for me that I'm capable of handling myself."

A frown creased her forehead. "Are you sure, Mr. Oliver?"

"Yes. I'm sure." Oliver steered her to the hallway and closed the door to his room as silently as he could. "Now where was my mother?"

"She's in the breakfast room with Miss Thea."

"Thank you, Raisa."

The maid smiled and walked away to do whatever other tasks she had for the day. It was in that moment that Oliver realized he had left his phone on the nightstand near Felicity. There was no hope for it. He'd have to believe that Diggle could take care of the Felicity situation. Oliver let out a pent up breath and headed in the direction of the breakfast room.

OQFSOQFS 

Felicity sniffled awake. _God_ , _her_ _head_ _hurt_. Way worse than that time she had walked into the door of the Grand when her mother had gotten her drunk on her twenty-first birthday and Felicity ended up at the hospital with a slight concussion.

Almost immediately after cracking open one eye, Felicity regretted it and closed it. _Ugh_! She must have forgotten to close her blinds the night before. _That's what happens when you take the east facing apartment because of the cheaper rent_ , Felicity scolded herself.

Pushing up on one arm, Felicity settled back on the bed only to realize the bed didn't feel right. She was going to have to open her eyes. _Frack_! Felicity eased one lid open and then the other.

The first thing she noticed was that the sheets were all wrong. They were much more masculine than the flower quilt that normally covered her queen bed. Queen bed. _No! Frack. No. No. No. No. No_.

Felicity scrambled out of the bed and stared at the room. This couldn't be happening. She was not naked at the Queen mansion. A look down her body confirmed her worst fears.

"Okay, so that happened." Felicity covered herself by crossing her arms. "So, I'm naked. I'm sure it's fine. I'm probably in a guest room." Her eyes travelled across the room. "A really huge guest room."

Felicity spotted a phone on top of the nightstand close to where she stood and she walked over and picked it up. _Seven thirty-eight_. By the sun shining through the window that had to mean morning. The next thing Felicity realized was that the device wasn't hers. She dropped it on the floor the second it began to vibrate in her palm. It traveled a few inches by the time Felicity picked it up again. A picture of Laurel Lance was on the screen. Felicity closed her eyes and groaned. It was Oliver Queen's phone was in her hand. She threw it back on the nightstand as if it burned her.

She needed to get out of here and fast before Oliver returned. Felicity started for the door before she remembered that she needed to find her dress. And that was another matter Felicity didn't want to dwell on. _How had she lost her dress_? She couldn't remember taking it off. But if she was honest with herself she couldn't remember much past coming to the party the night before. Her head was still too fuzzy. Shooting her eyes around the strange room, Felicity scanned for the gold dress she had on the night before. _Where the hell was it_?

Her eyes spotted a door. It appeared to be an ensuite bathroom. Walking in that direction, Felicity tried her best to recall what had led her to this position but nothing was coming. No sooner was she in the door than she realized she had to use the facilities. As she sat there she cradled her head in her hands.

Hopefully, Oliver had only left his phone in the room by mistake and she wasn't really where she suspected she was. Her hopes were quickly dashed when she reached the sink. Shaving cream, cologne and a razor lined the edges of the counter. Picking up the cologne, Felicity sniffed the container. _Yep, Oliver's. Frack_. Yet, it struck her funny that the shaving cream and razor were so prominent when Oliver seemed to have a permanent five o'clock shadow.

"Miss Smoak? Felicity?"

 _No. There couldn't be someone out there_. Felicity leaned against the door barricading the portal. She still hadn't found any clothes. A knock sounded on the door behind her and she silently groaned.

"Are you in there?" The knob began to turn.

"Yes," she quickly answered so the person wouldn't enter.

"Thank God. My name's John Diggle. I work security for Oliver Queen."

"Hi," she squeaked.

"I have some clothes for you. I can leave them here by the door and come back in about ten minutes if that works for you." A rustle of a bag and a small sound of something being put down sounded like screams in her ears with the blood pounding so loudly through her head.

"Thanks." Felicity waited until she heard the outer door close before she peeked out the door and found a cloth bag outside with a box inside. _Where were the clothes_? With a shrug, Felicity pulled the bag in the small crack she had made and opened the box. _Oh_!

Felicity gathered the stuff and headed for the bed. Inside the box was a soft three quarter sleeve pink sweater, which if she wasn't mistake was cashmere. Underneath was a pair of black jeans. Unfortunately, there was no bra and she hadn't worn one the night before with her dress. And with the sweater she was going to feel exposed without one. However, there wasn't enough time to bemoan the loss. Diggle was sure to return soon.

Felicity dressed in a hurry. A small thanks left her lips when she realized they were exactly her size. How they were her size was another issue to be thought about later. No sooner had Felicity buttoned the jeans and bent to roll them up when a knock sounded on the door.

"Are you dressed?"

 _That was not Diggle's voice_. "Yes." Felicity gulped hard when the door opened to reveal Oliver Queen in a pair of jeans and a plaid button-down shirt and the man she suspected to be John Diggle.

"Oh good, they fit." Diggle sounded relieved.

"The pants are a little long, but thank you."

"No problem. I heard you had some problems with your previous clothes."

"I did?" Her question was directed at Oliver who stood there staring with his arms crossed over his chest.

"You threw up on your dress."

 _Well, that explained everything. Not_. "Where is it?"

"I put it in a plastic bag." He walked over to a table and picked up a bag that Felicity hadn't noticed. "I was going to have Raisa send it to the cleaners."

Diggle studied him as though Oliver had grown two heads. "And exactly how were you going to explain why you needed a dress cleaned?"

"I… uh…" Oliver flushed. At least Felicity wasn't the only one in an uncomfortable situation.

Felicity walked over and removed the bag from his hand tucking it close to her chest to keep the men from noticing that the sweater exposed her more than it should. "Thank you. I appreciate the thought but I think I can take care of it myself."

Diggle stared at the two of them. A small smile pulling at the edge of his lips. "And how exactly did it get in the bag?"

"I put it there after I found it on the floor of the bathroom, okay?"

"So, I took off my dress? Thank God." Relief flooded through Felicity. _Oliver hadn't seen her naked then. Wait. Did she take it off and then Oliver put her to bed? Did Oliver see her naked? Oh, frack._ Her cheeks burned red.

"No, you did that all on your own."

"Why doesn't that make me feel better?"

Oliver's hand reached out and covered her shoulder. "Are you feeling better?"

Felicity nodded but quickly stopped when a wave of nausea passed over her. "I can't remember what exactly happened, but I do remember not feeling well."

"You were drugged."

"That explains a lot." Felicity tried to recall more but she couldn't. "I only remember coming here and drinking maybe a few sips of champagne but I was tired after coding all day, so I didn't finish it." Another wave of nausea hit her and she swayed on her feet. Diggle was suddenly at her side with a chair as Oliver helped her sit. "Thank you."

Diggle bent down in front of her. "Do you remember who you may have talked to last night? It might give us a clue as to who may have drugged you."

Felicity racked her aching brain but she didn't remember talking to anyone other than her date because she had been intimidated by the house and all the strangers at the party. "As far as I remember, the only person I talked to was Terry."

"I doubt your friend would have drugged you," Oliver noted.

"Terry wasn't my friend. He was my date."

"Terry's a guy?" Oliver's eyes snapped to hers. His blue eyes flashed fire. If she didn't know better she could almost swear that he turned a little green with jealousy, but that was stupid. Oliver would have no need to be jealous over her. They only just met.

"Yes. He also works at QC. In the new technical division." Felicity glanced between the two men. "You don't think he did it, do you?"

Oliver pointed at Diggle. "I want him fired. Today."

Felicity watched as Oliver seemed to grow angrier and more agitated. Though his anger seemed controlled, she was scared. And she practically jumped when his voice growled out, "No, I have a better idea."

Diggle stood and grabbed Oliver's arm before he could take more than a step or two. "No. You can't. I'll handle it. We don't even know if he was really the one who drugged her. You can't go out there half-cocked, Oliver."

"Do you have any better ideas? Felicity could have been seriously hurt. Ra…" Oliver shook his head before shaking Diggle's hand off his arm. "Even if he didn't do it, I can see that he answers a few questions. Questions that Felicity can't answer."

Felicity cleared her throat to gain their attention. The tension within the room was almost choking her. "Is there any way I can go home?"

"Of course. I'll drive you," Diggle told her. He turned back to Oliver. "You need to stay here until I get back. In case you have forgotten you were only just released from house arrest. You don't need to do something stupid right now."

"Fine." Oliver threw his hands up in the air and stepped toward the window.

Felicity winced at the violence in Oliver's tone. He sounded anything but happy at Diggle's request. Oliver seemed like a ticking time bomb of rage and Felicity was confused as to why he should feel so strongly about what happened to her. She had only a few run-ins with him before now. And while she suspected there was more to Oliver Queen than what he lead people to believe, there was no reason he should act the way he was right now. Maybe he was worried she would sue his family because she was one of their employees and drugged on their family's property. "Oliver…"

He turned to face her. "Yeah?"

"It's not your fault." Felicity walked over to him, self-conscious of her body since she had left the bag by the chair. "I don't hold you responsible. Or anyone in your family."

"You should."

"Why? You've been nothing but nice to me. At least I think so." Felicity tried really hard to think about what happened the night before but still it alluded her. Everything was so fuzzy and blurred together. "I just need to get home. Maybe there I can sleep off the rest of whatever this is." Felicity turned back to Diggle who now watched by the door with Felicity's bag and shoes in his hands. "Can you take me home now?"

Diggle nodded at her and opened the door. "After you."

Felicity walked out accepting her shoes. She was out the door putting on the heels when she heard the exchange between the two men. It made her question even more about the secrets that Oliver had.

"I want to know everything about that Terry guy and whether he had anything to do with what happened to Felicity last night or I will, Digg."

"We'll discuss this when I get back. Right now Felicity's scared, man. And I don't blame her. And in the mood you're in you are only going to scare her more. So, back down. I will get to the bottom of this."

OQFSOQFS

"Hey, did you hear that Terence Jacobson in the Technical Division was fired this morning?"

"What for?"

"No one is really sure but I heard it came down from Walter Steele."

Felicity walked past the gossiping employees in the QC cafeteria. She shuddered at the thought. He had sent her a text earlier that morning after he was fired.

 _You got me fired, bitch. I'll see to it you feel the pain of retribution_.

The sad part was that Felicity had actually believed that Terry hadn't been involved. Obviously, Diggle had found some evidence otherwise. John seemed to want to make sure of Terry's guilt before taking any further steps. And that meant Diggle must have found something in the past twenty-four hours. Felicity was half tempted to call him to find out what it was. More than that, she wished she felt comfortable enough to tell him about the threat Terry made.

A shot rang out, echoing through the large room as everything and everyone in it suddenly silenced. Guards ran past Felicity to the main entrance of the cafeteria. People around her began to huddle under the tables.

Felicity stood there, her fingers still wrapped around the tray in her hands. She felt paralyzed as she watched the guards fall as more shots rang out.

"Felicity Smoak," a male voice called out. A man in a large black coat and a black face mask came further into the room. She knew the second he spotted her as his gun focused on her. "Ah, there you are."

She could do more than shake her head. Felicity's mouth fell open in shock as a smaller pistol followed the automatic weapon that was held in his hands. Both barrels were pointed at her.

The pistol slowly lowered and the man placed it on a nearby table. Not one person nearby went for it. Everyone was too scared. Even too scared to run. Felicity watched as the man reached up and removed his mask. _Terry_.

"What are you doing?" Felicity managed to get out of her mouth.

"Pay back, bitch."

"Put the gun down."

Felicity glanced to her left where the modulated voice had come from. The Starling City vigilante stood there with his bowstring pulled back an arrow pointed at Terry's chest.

"Not until she gets what is coming to her," Terry ground out. He began to take a step toward her but the vigilante's next words stopped him. "Take one more step and I will put you down."

Terry pointed at Felicity with his free hand. "You don't understand. She deserves it. You don't know her. She's a tease. Felicity Smoak led me on with her promises of something more with her clever double entendres. I get her to go out with me and when I go to collect she disappears."

The vigilante stepped closer to Terry. But Felicity noticed that the way he walked was slowly cutting off the angle Terry had to shoot her. "Did you drug her?"

 _What? How would he know about that_?

When Terry didn't answer it seemed to anger the vigilante more. "Did you drug her?"

"Even if I did, why would I admit that to you?"

One second the vigilante stood there between Felicity and the man threatening to kill her and the next he was leaping into the air after Terry. Bullets flew out as Terry reacted by trying to shoot his attacker. People screamed and finally began to run from the room.

"Miss Smoak, we need to get you out of here."

Felicity turned and realized John Diggle was at her side. The man whose sole purpose was to protect Oliver Queen from harm was trying to rescue her. Something didn't add up but her mind had shut down minutes ago. It was a puzzle she'd have to solve later.

Mr. Diggle led her from the cafeteria all the while he kept to her back to keep her from harm. They didn't stop until they were outside the Queen Consolidated building. Sirens blared as police cars began to arrive. John pulled one of the officers to the side and quickly explained the shooter was after Felicity.

The officer radioed in what happened and then asked if she was okay. Felicity nodded and he explained that he needed her to sit in his car until they could determine if she was still in danger.

Felicity sat in the muffled confines of the cruiser. Everything seemed so distant and surreal from there. If it did one thing for her, it allowed her time to think. About Terry. About the fact that only three people knew she had been drugged, as far as she was aware. And about the fact that the vigilante had saved her life.

OQFSOQFS

"Felicity safe?" Oliver asked as he placed his bow back in his trunk.

"Yeah," Diggle told him as he reclined in the chair by the computer. "I saw her out of the building personally."

Oliver turned and faced the man who had recently become his partner. "Thank you."

"She's going to have questions," Diggle told him seriously. "You know that, right? Especially after that whole drugging her comment."

"I'd rather she have questions than be dead, Diggle." Oliver began to strip out of his jacket. He needed to change so he could meet his mother back at the offices and he was already late. Luckily, Oliver Queen wasn't exactly known for his punctuality.  
"First Laurel and now Felicity. I'm beginning to wonder if you don't have some complex over rescuing women."

Oliver turned and faced Diggle as he shrugged on his dress shirt. "They needed to be saved."

"True and you just happened to be at Laurel's when she was attacked. But what about today? Or this weekend for that matter." Diggle stood up and crossed his arms leaning back against the metal of the desk.

"Saturday night Felicity showed up in _my_ room drugged. I wasn't exactly going to leave her to fend for herself. Not in that condition." Oliver shrugged his suit jacket on and grabbed his wallet from the table.

"Why didn't you call me when it happened, then?"

"You were out being the vigilante, remember? She showed up shortly before I answered your call and was attacked."

Diggle stared at him, his eyes wide as his hands fell to his sides. "She was in the room while you fought him off?"  
"In the bathroom. She didn't see anything and even if she had you know that she doesn't remember anything."

"I hope so for your sake, man."

Oliver just nodded at Digg before he turned to head upstairs. He had to don the persona of Oliver Queen, playboy billionaire. Oliver didn't have time to worry about what Felicity might or might not have seen. It was the only way that he could keep the ones he loved safe.

OQFSOQFS

If there was one thing Felicity hated it was a puzzle. Truth be told she hated a lot of things: kangaroos, cockroaches and pointy objects. But puzzles most of all. And Oliver Queen was a puzzle. Not that she hated him. Actually, she was quite grateful for his help over the weekend, but the enigma he presented drove her insane.

It was with the goal of solving the conundrum he presented that, a few weeks after the attack, Felicity made her way to the Glades where Oliver planned to open a nightclub. She had seen the email pass through the QC's system about his request to transform the steel fabrication warehouse into a new venture.

Felicity pushed open the gate and glanced around. By the look of things, Oliver had a lot of work to accomplish before this area would be ready for anything.

Voices caught her attention. Felicity ducked behind a corner to avoid whoever might be coming. Peeking out, she saw Oliver and Diggle leave the building. Nothing unusual in that as Diggle followed Oliver everywhere, or at least tried to. Except for _that_ day, the day of the incident Diggle was more concerned about her when Oliver wasn't even supposed to be at Queen Consolidated until later that afternoon. She had heard all about the commotion that had been stirred as Oliver arrived after the attack. What intrigued her at that moment was their current conversation.

"So, Laurel wants you to look into the death?" Diggle asked as he shrugged into his coat. He pulled out his keys and jingled them to find a particular one.

 _Why would Laurel ask Oliver of all people to look into someone's death_? Coming here was supposed to answer questions not give her new ones.

"She thinks there's more that happened than what the fire marshal's report indicates."

"What's your plan?" Diggle asked as he opened the door for Oliver who look up at his bodyguard with a serious expression.

"I think we need to talk to someone at the fire department. Tommy asked me to do a few things there for the benefit anyway."

Diggle nodded and slammed the door shut after Oliver was inside. Going to the driver's door, Diggle stepped inside and Felicity watched as the car drove away.

"Do you need something?"

Felicity let out a small yelp and jumped. Swinging around, she faced Tommy Merlyn. "No."

Tommy crossed his arms and grinned at her, something that she wasn't expecting. "An Ollie groupie." He studied her for a moment. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't seem like the type."

Felicity pushed up her glasses. "I'm not." Tommy's smile began to drop and Felicity almost cursed. "I mean I am, but I know I don't look like one." Felicity bit her lip and hoped Tommy would fall for the lie.

"He's not here, so there's no point hanging around."

"Okay." Felicity wasn't sure how to exit the situation gracefully. "I better go."

Tommy nodded at her, his grin still on his face. "Yeah. Be careful. It's not the best neighborhood."

"Exactly, which is why it's the weirdest place to open a nightclub," Felicity mumbled to herself as she walked away. When she glanced back, Tommy was still there watching her. She waved subconsciously and he nodded at her. God, she hoped he wouldn't tell Oliver she had been there.

OQFSOQFS

"You've been attracting all sorts of groupies late," Tommy said to Oliver days later at the firefighter's gala after a particularly aggressive brunette had been brushed off.

Oliver's head swung around to his best friend. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. It just seems since you've been back you've attracted all types. Like that blonde girl with the glasses who showed up here a few days ago," Tommy told him while he raised his scotch to his lips.

Oliver reached out and grabbed Tommy's arm. "Blonde with glasses?"

Tommy's brow crinkled and a frown touched his lips. "Yeah. She wasn't exactly Oliver material which is why I remember her. Kind of on the nerdy side."

"Was her name Felicity?"

"I didn't ask her name." Tommy shrugged and sipped his drink. "Why are you so worked up over this?"

Oliver searched the room for Diggle. "It's nothing. I need to go find someone. Can you watch over things for a few minutes?"

"Sure. That's what you hired me for."

Oliver barely heard his best friend's words. Diggle couldn't be found which meant that he was probably in the back of the club so people wouldn't stumble down to the sub level. Pushing his way through the crowd, Oliver finally found his target. "Digg, we need to talk."

Diggle came to attention quickly. "What is it, boss?"

"Felicity. She was here a few days ago. Tommy saw her." Oliver keyed in the code for the basement. Diggle followed him down after making sure no one else saw them.

"I told you she would have questions."

Oliver wished he could strip and jump on his salmon ladder. The workout usually cleared his mind. And if there was one thing he needed right now was a clear head as far as Felicity was concerned.

"So, what's the plan?" Diggle asked.

Oliver turned on him. "I don't know."

"That must be a first. Usually, you're suiting up and ready to ask questions."

"I can't exactly chase after her as the vigilante. She hasn't done anything wrong."

"True," Diggle noted. "But that hasn't stopped you before."

"Right now Oliver Queen is hosting a party upstairs and I can't exactly abandon it to find out what Felicity does or doesn't know." Oliver rubbed his brow. He had no easy answers on this one.

Diggle snorted and crossed his arms. "Why do I think it has more to do with the fact that you don't want to know."

Oliver pointed at his partner, angry. "No. That's where you are wrong. I have commitments and for once it would be nice if I could follow through with them."

"This must be killing you." Diggle laughed.

"What?"  
"The need to see Felicity and the urge to not leave Laurel's side even if she's with your best friend. Your head is split and I can tell it's making you…"

"It's not making me anything," Oliver spewed out in anger as he interrupted Diggle. "I have a party to get back to."

"Whatever."

OQFSOQFS

Felicity couldn't believe she fell for another one of Oliver's lame excuses as she sat at her desk and entered another string of code to try to break the encryption security fob Oliver had handed her. _What was the likelihood that something with this much security was for a scavenger hunt?_

 _It wasn't apparently_. Felicity's eyes widened as information popped up on her screen. This was so far from anything about a scavenger hunt that it might as well exist on a separate plane of existence.

While she felt compelled to call the cops directly, she chose to phone Oliver. Even his assurances that it must have been a mix up didn't allow her to relax. Nor the fact that the promised wine wasn't coming after her effort.

She glanced around happy that she had her own office where people wouldn't know that she sat on a ticking time bomb of information. Felicity yanked drive from her computer, something she wouldn't have done if she wasn't in so much of a panic. With a sharp pull, Felicity opened her most unused drawer of her desk and threw the offending drive inside. In all honesty, she wouldn't be happy until it left her possession.

Yet, that night, she brought the drive home. Felicity hadn't felt right about leaving it behind even in her locked office. That was why when she hid it in a secret book safe after dinner she panicked after hearing the breaking news.

John Diggle had been involved with the capture of the people responsible for the armored car robberies. There wasn't conclusive evidence as the reporter had only reached the scene but he believed the Starling City vigilante had also been on the scene as a bystander claimed to have seen a hooded man shooting arrows.

Diggle and the Starling City vigilante. The two men had been at the same place again. Just as they had that day at Queen Consolidated. And once more there was no mention of Oliver Queen. The very man she had emailed the information to. The man that John Diggle protected. The man whose side Diggle was never far from. The man who just happened to ask her to look up information that involved the vigilante again. Chances were slim that Felicity was wrong. Oliver Queen was the vigilante.

Looking down, Felicity realized her hands began to shake. On unsteady legs, Felicity flopped onto her couch. Oliver Queen had been exonerated on all charges of being the vigilante weeks ago. The police had not discovered any evidence that proved he could be the same man. Especially, as the vigilante had been chasing criminals while Oliver was on house arrest. The night of _the incident_.

 _What if they weren't wrong? What if it was John Diggle out there in Oliver's hood the night that Oliver helped her_? If she was right, the police would be grateful for the information. The only thought that stopped her from picking up the phone was that she had aided Oliver in the investigations. More than that there was an encrypted drive in her house that would prove that very fact.

With a blanket curled up around her, Felicity sat there for hours and stared at nothing as every scenario of what the future could hold for her played across her brain.

OQFSOQFS

"Do you think this is best idea?" Diggle asked Oliver a week later. A variant of the same question he had asked him four times on their way over to the QC building. After Oliver collapsed on the stairs of the Queen mansion from the effects of Vertigo.

Oliver turned to his bodyguard and friend and exited the car. "I don't know what other choice I have. Felicity might be the only one to be able to get us any answers without suspicions being aroused."

"What about her suspicions? Not worried about those?" Diggle inquired as he held open the front doors of the Queen Consolidated building.

"We don't know for sure she has any."

The look Diggle leveled at him indicated he thought Oliver was either crazy or stupid. "And exactly when are you going to find out?"

Oliver faced off with Diggle when they reached the elevator banks. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm a little preoccupied at the moment." Oliver lowered his voice. "We are trying to catch the Count so I can save my sister from jail."

"And once we do that they'll be something or someone else. You need to make the time." Oliver could see Diggle's frustration. "In case you haven't noticed, this isn't just about you anymore, man."

"You made that quite clear after Helena."

The elevator opened and both men stepped in, and despite the couple of other people who entered with them, Diggle had to get one last dig in. "You didn't listen to me then either."

OQFSOQFS

The Count was out of play, drugged on the poison he created. Oliver knew he should be happy but he wasn't. Digg was right. Oliver had to find out what Felicity knew. Since he had left the lair weaponless, he couldn't think of a better time to approach her.

He found her outside her apartment. From the bags in her hands, she must have finished shopping at the local grocery store. On silent unsteady feet, Oliver crept past her. In a few short minutes, he slipped inside one of her unlocked windows and waited in the shadows for her to enter.

Felicity carried the bags straight to her kitchen before she returned to her front door so she could close and lock it. Maybe his being here would be a benefit because it might scare her enough to not leave herself so vulnerable.

He waited until she finished putting everything away. Instead he used that time to study her. She was dressed casually enough. A pair of jeans and a cardigan over a matching top. Her usual ponytail hung behind her. A smile split his lips as she bobbed to some unknown song playing in her head.

She returned to the living room with a glass of wine in her hand. Felicity set it on the coffee table before she slipped from her heels, a sigh on her lips as she did so. He decided now was the time to reveal his presence.

"Felicity Smoak," he called out to her after he activated his modulator.

She began to scream and he raced over and clasped a hand over her mouth. Oliver pulled her tight to his body securing her there when she began to struggle. It wasn't the smartest move on his part when his body reacted to her closeness.

"Be still. I won't hurt you." When he felt rather than heard her take a deep breath, he released her mouth.

"What do you want?" Felicity asked him a little breathless.

"We need to talk."

"Why would The Hood need to talk to me?"

Oliver could tell she was nervous despite the fact that she tried to hide it. Because of her tension he could smell her more sharply than he ever had before. Of course, he had never been this close to her before either, as her body touched his from hip to chest. "I shouldn't have come here."

He released her and backed away. Any normal woman would have screamed or ran the second he released her. Maybe even stayed so scared to do either. Felicity, as he'd come to realize, wasn't like other women. She ran after him as he turned to leave. Her hand rested on his arm before he could escape out of her window.

"I know," she told him.

He head shot up from where he stared at her hand and his eyes met hers even in the darkened corner of the room. Felicity cocked her head, her eyes studied him.

"I know, Oliver. But I won't say anything. I promise. Is that what you wanted to ask?"

Oliver's head inclined indicating that was the exact reason for his impromptu visit. In an effort to make sure that she kept that promise, he stepped forward crowding into her personal space and turned off his modulator. "Yes."

He laid a hand on her shoulder and her blue eyes followed it before returning to his own hidden by the hood. "How long have you known?"

"At least a week for sure. I've suspected for some time now." Her small hand came up to rest on his chest. Their breaths intermingled in the cold air that blew in from the open window. "Please believe me, I have no need to reveal your secret."

Honesty laced the words coming from her mouth, but it was her red lips that held his interest as they gave him the assurances that he didn't know he needed. Lips that were inches from his own. Oliver had never had the urge to kiss a woman so much in his life. He couldn't. Not this woman. She held his life and Diggle's captive with her knowledge and while he was sure he could trust her as much as he could Diggle with his secret he couldn't take a chance of making a mistake and bringing her into his life. He suspected that she was someone who could get too close. Felicity could too easily mess with his head. "I should go."

"Be careful," she told him before he slipped out of her window. Oliver had a lot to think about and even more to explain to Diggle. Life now that Felicity knew his secret was not going to be the same. 

OQFSOQFS

"Who's Terence Jacobson?" Oliver asked once Walter finished his story, a little bit of jealousy tainting his voice.

Walter smiled at him. "That's what you remember?" A laugh erupted from the stoic Brit. "He was supposed to be Felicity's date to the Christmas party but she stayed behind at Queen Consolidated to finish up working on the names in your mother's book."

"So, she never actually never went out with him?"

"Not as far as I know," Walter told him with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Good. Then I won't have to kill him."

Walter gazed at him in concern. "I had heard that you've returned to that. Your mother wouldn't want that for you. You're not the same scared man who came home from the island, Oliver." Walter motioned to a waiter for the check. "Things change. People change. And I accept that you have, but at what cost are you willing to go to avenge Laurel?"

Oliver's eyes flashed over to Walter's. "How do you know it's because of Laurel?"

"Because you'll never forget your first real love." Walter threw back the last of his drink. "I know because your mother was my Laurel. I was in love with Moira for years while she was married to your father."

"I didn't know." The announcement shook Oliver, especially knowing the way their relationship ended. The secrets that his mother held drove the two apart, not unlike the one he had withheld from Felicity. With a silent snort, Oliver realized how much like his mother he was.

"What I'm saying is I understand." Walter leaned over and patted Oliver's leg. "But don't let your pain and anger cost you love. Or your life. Your mother wouldn't want that and neither do I."

And while Oliver heard the words coming out of Walter's lips, he could hear them in his own father's voice. It was something even Thea had told him weeks ago. Maybe he needed to start listening. "Thank you, Walter." Oliver rose from his seat. "Not only for the drinks but for the advice."

Walter rose and shook Oliver's hand. "Just be safe out there."

"I'll try." With those parting words, Oliver turned and left the bar. He had someplace he needed to be.

OQFSOQFS

A half hour later, Oliver strolled down the too overly familiar halls of Starling City General. Oliver had used Felicity's program to ping her phone so he knew she was still there with Curtis despite the late hour.

He noticed her at the end of the hallway. Her eyes were fixated on a point outside the window. "Felicity?"

She turned and smiled at him. "What are you doing here?"

"You're here," he told her because it was the truth. Oliver could have went to the lair and checked in and waited for her there. He could've done the unthinkable and headed home early. But what he did was find her because she was his lifeline in the endless ocean that was his life. Felicity was his Lian Yu, his sanctuary from the hell that surrounded him. The one place that he could be himself without worrying about which self that was.

Oliver watched as she approached him. It was then he noticed that she had her coat on. "Were you about to leave?"

She nodded and stood next to him. Oliver enveloped her into his arms and she came willingly. Her cheek rested on his chest and he kissed the top of her blonde hair.

"How's Curtis?"

"About to be released. He has a concussion. I was going to bring him back with me to the loft to keep an eye on him." Her head lifted and their eyes locked. "Were you planning to come over?"

Oliver could have answered her but he captured her lips with his own. Her hands caressed his chest before one came up to wrap around his neck. Oliver stepped forward, forcing her back until she was pressed to the wall. He heard her groan and he knew it wasn't from being sandwiched between his chest and the flat surface behind her because he felt the same way.

A throat cleared. "Don't mind me. I'll be in the car. Better yet, I'll go call my husband." Curtis let out a subconscious laugh. "If I keep watching the two of you I am going to need a cold shower."

"Good idea," Oliver mumbled before he kissed Felicity again. Walter was right. Oliver's pain and anger had their place. Right now, Oliver needed to think about something else. Someone living and the love that needed to find its way back between the two of them. Because Oliver wasn't really living without Felicity in his life.

 **The End**


End file.
